Burkea africana, the wild syringa (Bambara: siri), is a deciduous, medium-sized, spreading, flat-topped tree which grows in the woodlands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the sole species in genus Burkea, which belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae.
| Wild syringa | |
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| Summer and autumn foliage | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| (unranked): | Dimorphandra Group A |
| Genus: | Burkea Benth. (1843) |
| Species: | B. africana
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| Binomial name | |
| Burkea africana Hook. (1843)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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The genus was named in honour of Joseph Burke, the botanist and collector.
Description edit
Burkea africana is a tree growing from 4 to 20 meters high.[1] Leaves are bipinnately compound, silvery pubescent or glabrescent. Flowers are creamy white, fragrant and in pendulous racemes of up to 300 mm in length. The bark is toxic, rich in alkaloids and tannins and used for tanning leather. Pulverised bark is thrown into water to paralyse fish.
Range and habitat edit
Burkea africana is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Sudan and South Africa.[1] It is found in Chad, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Zaire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa in the Transvaal region.
It is typically found in deciduous woodland and savanna from 270 to 1300 meters elevation. The species is generally absent from humid tropical rain forests.[1]
Ecology edit
The foliage is browsed by the larvae of two Saturniidae moths, Rohaniella pygmaea and Imbrasia forda.
Uses edit
If cut from the heartwood, it produces durable, insect-resistant timber with a moderately fine, wavy grain which is dark brown to reddish brown, and is used for parquet flooring and fine cabinet and furniture work.
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Flower buds -
Seed pods -
Foliage
References edit
- ^ a b c d Burkea africana Hook. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
External links edit
- Burkea africana in West African plants – A Photo Guide.
- "Burkea africana". PlantZAfrica.com. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
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